The traction inverter is a critical component in electric vehicles (EVs), functioning as the heart and brain of the electric powertrain. It controls the power conversion between the high-voltage battery and the electric motor, enabling efficient propulsion and regenerative braking. As EV adoption grows, especially in emerging markets like India, the need for robust and scalable inverter testing solutions becomes paramount. Traditional testing methods involving real batteries and e-motors pose several challenges in the Indian context, including high safety risks, infrastructure limitations, high battery costs, and limited availability of prototype-grade components.
This paper presents a comprehensive approach to inverter validation using the AVL Inverter TS™ system— an advanced Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHiL) test system based on e-motor emulation technology.. It enables safe, efficient, and reliable testing without the need for actual batteries or mechanical loads. The system supports testing across signal and power levels, facilitating the validation of both inverter hardware and software under real-world driving scenarios. Additionally, it addresses Indian OEM challenges such as reducing battery development costs, ensuring high replication precision, and managing thermal and power instability in early-stage prototypes.
The Inverter TS™ offers support for various motor types (IM, EESM, PMSM), switching strategies, and SiC-based 800V architectures, enabling targeted control optimizations. By enabling the derivation of inverter efficiency maps and fast control strategy iteration, the system facilitates overall drivetrain optimization. This paper highlights how adopting such emulation test methodologies can help EV developers overcome infrastructure gaps, reduce time-to-market, and enhance powertrain efficiency at a lower cost.